Sidney Crosby Brings NHL into New Era

Sidney Crosby Finally Meets Lord Stanley

It couldn’t be a more fitting end to a thrilling Stanley Cup Finals. With seconds clicking away, and the door closing fast on the Detroit Red Wings, Nicklas Lidstrom was given a wide-open shot to tie the game. Lidstrom has forever been the cornerstone of the Red Wings, and as he unwound to tie the game and extend his chance at a fifth Stanley Cup, Marc Andre-Fleury launched across the crease to block the puck like he was taking a bullet for Barrack Obama.

As Fleury’s body flew across to block the shot from Lidstrom, it’s as if the hockey gods had were echoing the sentiments of a new era. As the puck dropped, you could hear them saying, “Sorry, old man, your time is up…”

The puck was shuffled to the corner, the horn sounded and the Penguins had won the Stanley Cup. Gloves and helmets went flying in the air as the youngsters from Pittsburgh hugged and cheered in Hockeytown. As Detroit watched on from the bench, Lidstrom joined his teammates on the bench to step aside and let a new guard assume the mantle.

For all intents and purposes, the Pittsburgh Penguins did the impossible. Their Game 7 victory was the first time a road team had won a Championship in Game 7 since 1979 in any of the American Majors (NHL/NBA/MLB). And they reaped revenge over the team that stopped them in their tracks last season as Detroit won 4-2 SU in 2008.

However, the 2009 season brought us a new year, an influx of incredible young talent and a new Stanley Cup Champions. This is the dawn of a new era in the NHL, and everyone should be excited about, especially the NHL betting fans.

Hockey fans that walked away from the game after the dreaded lockout, and hiking ticket prices are coming back because of guys like Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk. Nobody cares whether they’re American or Canadian or European anymore. People just want to see good hockey, and they’re getting it.

The Red Wings have long been the mainstay of the NHL, winning four Stanley Cups since the 1996-97 season. But now they have some legitimate competitions. The economy has terrified teams in to spending wisely, and the crop of new NHL’ers is even more exciting than the last bunch.

For the Penguins, they will carry the mantle as the NHL’s new flagship franchise for as long as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin stay united. The problem for Sidney will be the surge of talent coming from the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, and their new rival, the Detroit Red Wings.

The 2008-09 season is over and Sidney Crosby is finally the Stanley Cup Champion he was born to be. But hype and excitement is already brewing for the 2009-10 season. For now the Penguins are to revel in their new found glory. They know what it’s like to chase after a dream that slipped through your fingertips. Enjoy the view from the top, Sidney and Gino, because all you have to do is look down to see the onslaught of teams coming for your crown.

Welcome to the new NHL, folks. It’s about time.